Volunteers kept piling boxes and boxes of food - cereal, pasta and other dry vegetarian items - into the Loaves & Fishes food pantry on Saturday in Naperville.

By the time it was all unloaded, the pantry had 1,240 pounds of recently donated food for needy families in the area.

"This is just outstanding," Charles McLimans, the pantry's executive director, said as volunteers cheered. "It's more than half a ton!"

The donations resulted from a food drive organized by three organizations with roots in India: Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh Naperville, a social and cultural group; Sewa International, a volunteer service agency; and the Science of Spirituality Center in Naperville. The food drive, the first one the groups have organized, was part of their celebration of Diwali, the five-day Hindu festival of lights.

"A big part of Diwali is helping people," food drive coordinator Ajinkya Nimbalkar said. "We thought that the food drive would be a great way to help people here."

The groups set up food drop-offs at groceries and other locations throughout the area. The drop-offs were up for several weeks.

"We're absolutely delighted with the response, especially when you consider that this was our first time doing it," Nimbalkar said.

The drive couldn't have happened at a better time. Loaves & Fishes, like other suburban food pantries, has seen demand for food and services skyrocket during the past year.

In fiscal year 2009, which ended on June 30, Loaves & Fishes enrolled 1,084 new families, a 55 percent increase over the number of new families enrolled the year before, McLimans said.

"The recession has really hit people hard, and in these kinds of times they turn to groups like us," he said. "This food drive will be a huge help."